report - european parliament · 2017. 8. 30. · rr\1130817en.docx pe601.250v02-00 en united in...
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RR\1130817EN.docx PE601.250v02-00
EN United in diversity EN
European Parliament 2014-2019
Plenary sitting
A8-0252/2017
11.7.2017
REPORT
on academic further and distance education as part of the European lifelong
learning strategy
(2016/2142(INI))
Committee on Culture and Education
Rapporteur: Milan Zver
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PR_INI
CONTENTS
Page
MOTION FOR A EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT RESOLUTION ............................................ 3
EXPLANATORY STATEMENT ............................................................................................ 16
POSITION IN THE FORM OF AMENDMENTS OF THE COMMITTEE ON WOMEN’S
RIGHTS AND GENDER EQUALITY ................................................................................... 18
INFORMATION ON ADOPTION IN COMMITTEE RESPONSIBLE ................................ 28
FINAL VOTE BY ROLL CALL IN COMMITTEE RESPONSIBLE .................................... 29
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MOTION FOR A EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT RESOLUTION
on academic further and distance education as part of the European lifelong learning
strategy
(2016/2142(INI))
The European Parliament,
– having regard to Articles 8, 165 and 166 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the
European Union (TFEU),
– having regard to the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union, in
particular Article 14 thereof,
– having regard to the Copenhagen Declaration of 30 November 2002 on enhanced
cooperation in European vocational education and training,
– having regard to the Council conclusions of 12 May 2009 on a strategic framework for
European cooperation in education and training (‘ET 2020’)1,
– having regard to the 2012 Joint Report of the Council and the Commission on the
implementation of the Strategic Framework for European cooperation in education and
training (ET 2020) – ‘Education and Training in a smart, sustainable and inclusive
Europe’2,
– having regard to the Council conclusions of 20 May 2014 on effective teacher
education,
– having regard to the 2015 Joint Report of the Council and the Commission on the
implementation of the Strategic Framework for European cooperation in education and
training (ET2020) – ‘New priorities for European cooperation in education and
training’3,
– having regard to the Council Resolution of 20 December 2011 on a renewed European
agenda for adult learning4,
– having regard to the Commission communication of 20 November 2012 entitled
‘Rethinking Education: Investing in skills for better socio-economic outcomes’
(COM(2012)0669)5,
– having regard to the Council conclusions of 17 February 2014 on investing in education
and training – a response to ‘Rethinking Education: Investing in skills for better socio-
economic outcomes’ and the ‘2013 Annual Growth Survey’6,
– having regard to the Decision No 1720/2006/EC of the European Parliament and of the
1 OJ C 119, 28.5.2009, p. 2. 2 OJ C 70, 8.3.2012, p. 9. 3 OJ C 417, 15.12.2015, p. 25. 4 OJ C 372, 20.12.2011, p. 1. 5 http://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/PDF/?uri=CELEX:52012DC0669&from=EN 6 OJ C 64, 5.3.2013, p. 5.
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Council of 15 November 2006 establishing an action programme in the field of lifelong
learning1,
– having regard to UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, ratified by
the EU in 2010,
– having regard to Recommendation 2006/962/EC of the European Parliament and of the
Council of 18 December 2006 on key competences for lifelong learning2,
– having regard to the Council conclusions of 19 November 2010 on education for
sustainable development3,
– having regard to the Council recommendation of 20 December 2012 on the validation of
non-formal and informal learning4,
– having regard to the recommendation of the European Parliament and of the Council of
23 April 2008 on the establishment of the European Qualifications Framework for
lifelong learning (EQF-LLL)5,
– having regard to the Council conclusions of 20 May 2014 on quality assurance
supporting education and training6,
– having regard to its resolution of 12 April 2016 on Erasmus+ and other tools to foster
mobility in VET – a lifelong learning approach7,
– having regard to its resolution of 23 June 2016 on follow-up of the Strategic Framework
for European cooperation in education and training (ET2020)8,
– having regard to the opinion of the Committee of the Regions — Opening up education
of 31 January 20149,
– having regard to the Commission research on Education and Training 2020: Improving
Policy and Provision for Adult Learning in Europe10,
– having regard to its resolution of 10 September 2015 on creating a competitive EU
labour market for the 21st century: matching skills and qualifications with demand and
job opportunities, as a way to recover from the crisis11,
– having regard to the Council conclusions on the European Pact for gender equality for
1 OJ L 327, 24.11.2006, p. 45. 2 OJ L 394, 30.12.2006, p. 10. 3 OJ C 327, 4.12.2010, p. 11. 4 OJ C 398, 22.12.2012, p. 1. 5 OJ C 111, 6.5.2008, p. 1. 6 OJ C 183, 14.6.2014, p. 30. 7 Texts adopted, P8_TA(2016)0107. 8 Texts adopted, P8_TA(2016)0291. 9 OJ C 126, 26.4.2014, p. 20. 10 http://ec.europa.eu/dgs/education_culture/repository/education/library/reports/policy-provision-adult-
learning_en.pdf 11 Texts adopted, P8_TA(2015)0321.
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the period 2011-20201,
– having regard to the draft Council Conclusions on ‘Enhancing the Skills of Women and
Men in the EU Labour Market’ of 20 February 20172,
– having regard to the Council recommendation of 28 November 2011 on a renewed
European agenda for adult learning,
– having regard to Rule 52 of its Rules of Procedure,
– having regard to the report of the Committee on Culture and Education and the position
in the form of amendments of the Committee on Women’s Rights and Gender Equality
(A8-0252/2017),
A. whereas education systems are facing significant challenges as a result of the digital
transformation, which are impacting teaching and learning processes, and the need to
bolster the capacity for social inclusion and civic participation as well as personal
development, and to enhance European democratic values and tolerance with a view to
fostering open-mindedness and preventing intolerance of every kind; whereas, digital
empowerment and self-confidence are an essential prerequisite for building strong
societies and helping the unity and integration processes within the EU;
B. whereas the European lifelong learning strategy should be reinforced; whereas every
person, at every stage of their life should have lifelong learning opportunities to acquire
the knowledge and skills they need for both their personal development and
professional progress; whereas lifelong learning, in formal, non-formal and informal
contexts, which promotes active citizenship and employability, is a key aspect of
education affected by these changes;
C. whereas further efforts need to be made to enhance the synergies between education and
employment, both by facilitating entry into the labour market and by enabling
individuals to constantly update their skills or to learn new skills throughout their
careers; whereas Member States need to find ways to protect or promote longer term
investment in education, research and innovation;
D. whereas academic further and distance education make a significant contribution to the
individual’s personal development and to the formation of human capital and should be
made an integral part of the European lifelong learning strategy;
E. whereas academic further and distance education play an increasingly important role in
facilitating the adaptation of workers to economic and technological change throughout
their professional lives; whereas, by 2025, 49 % of all job openings in the EU (including
both new and replacement jobs) will require high-level qualifications, 40 % will require
medium-level qualifications and only 11 % low or no qualifications;
F. whereas academic further and distance education are important tools in providing
flexible, personalised education opportunities for all without any discrimination3;
1 https://www.consilium.europa.eu/uedocs/cms_data/docs/pressdata/en/lsa/119628.pdf 2 http://data.consilium.europa.eu/doc/document/ST-6268-2017-INIT/en/pdf 3 As laid down in Article 21 of the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights.
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stresses in this respect the importance of ensuring widening access strategies;
G. whereas academic further and distance education and the use of new technologies can
help to raise girls and women’s awareness of new career options, particularly in areas
where they are under-represented; whereas even though more women have advanced
secondary school diplomas and higher education degrees, there is a need to increase the
presence of women both in vocational education and in STEM (Science, Technology,
Engineering and Mathematics)-related sectors;
H. whereas distance education is one possible approach, in the context of academic further
education, that because of its flexibility is particularly conducive to ensuring a study-
work-life balance;
I. whereas distance education1 refers to an organisational form for teaching which affords
a high degree of flexibility in learning through the use of digital education technologies,
not as a replacement of on-campus education, but offering an alternative for learners
who are unable to participate in on-campus education;
J. whereas distance education refers to a method of teaching which offers flexibility in
learning through the use of emerging technologies, not as a replacement of on-campus
education, but offering an alternative for learners who are unable to participate in on-
campus education and for workers who wish to combine work with education; whereas,
therefore, digitalisation might be used as a tool providing new ways of access to higher
education;
K. whereas equality between women and men is a fundamental principle of the EU which
is enshrined in the Treaties and one of the objectives and tasks of the Union; whereas
equality in education offers women greater opportunities and contributes to the social,
cultural and economic development of society; whereas education is a fundamental tool
to combat gender stereotypes;
L. whereas the average employment rate of women is directly linked to their level of
education, with women aged 25-49 that have completed tertiary education having over
20% higher employment rates than women with pre-primary, primary and lower
secondary education;
M. whereas distance education can have a positive effect on women’s ICT skills; whereas
the entry of more women into the ICT sector would boost a market in which labour
shortages are foreseen and in which the equal participation of women would lead to a
annual gain of around EUR 9 billion in EU GDP; whereas women remain heavily
under-represented in ICT degree programmes, where they constitute only around 20 %
of graduates in the field, with only 3 % of all female graduates having a degree in ICT;
N. whereas programmes at a distance reach substantial numbers of women in societies
where women lack equal opportunities for participation in conventional forms of
education and training, as women still spend more time than men on unpaid domestic
1 In German-speaking countries, for instance, a distinction is made, as regards distance education,
between academic and non-academic fields.
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work and family care; whereas such courses offer them flexibility in achieving work-
life balance, and whereas distance education is aimed in particular at the non-
traditional-student category;
O. whereas academic further education is one of higher education's public-service tasks
and refers to courses within an academic institution that can be pursued in parallel with
full-time work, generally building on professional experience and usually presupposing
a university degree;
P. whereas adaptation to accelerating economic and technological change is a major
challenge for an ageing workforce and responding to this challenge will be one of the
keys to ensuring the long-term competitiveness of the EU’s economy;
Q. whereas lifelong learning and career development policies might be boosted through
recognition of prior learning;
R. whereas allowing people time off for personal and training development in the context
of life-long learning benefits their well-being as well as their contribution to society by
empowering with more defined personal and professional skills; whereas academic
distance education provides for flexible study formats that help people attain a better
work-life balance; whereas university lifelong learning (ULLL) should be part of the
European Digitalisation Strategy;
S. whereas digitalisation enables flexibility and interactivity of the educational process and
it is a key factor for the further development of academic further and distance
education;
T. whereas technological change demands stronger and more continuous connections
between education and employment;
U. whereas the tendency for academic institutions to be static makes reform of curricula,
the rules governing courses and examinations, and entrance requirements challenging;
V. whereas academic further and distance education are rapidly expanding sectors with
significant potential in terms of economic growth and job creation;
W. whereas many barriers to academic further and distance education courses remain1;
Further and distance education to accompany societal and economical change
1. Acknowledges that online and open education is changing the way that education is
resourced, delivered and taken up; underlines, in this regard, the importance of open
educational resources (OER) which ensure access to education for all and enhance
employability by supporting the lifelong learning process;
2. Notes that many educational and training institutions are struggling to respond
appropriately to the profound and complex changes that our societies and economies are
1 A distance learning curriculum on pervasive computing;
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/312312226_A_distance_learning_curriculum_on_pervasive_
computing
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undergoing and need to undertake changes in terms of governance, organisational
structures and mode of operation; stresses that new, flexible and accessible forms of
lifelong learning, suitable for individuals of all ages, can successfully address some of
those challenges such as social exclusion, early school leaving and skills mismatches;
3. Recognises that digitalisation and the establishment of educational platforms for the
purpose of cooperation and exchange of best practices are key to addressing these
challenges;
4. Calls on the Commission and Member States to do more to bridge the existing
technological gap between well-equipped educational institutions and those which are
not, as part of the national strategies for digital skills;
5. Emphasises that lifelong learning measures are key to providing women with skills that
can enable them to return to employment or improve their employment, income and
working conditions; stresses the need for further improvements in women's presence
and access to higher levels of academia;
6. Stresses the importance of education in combating gender stereotypes; calls therefore on
the Commission to promote initiatives offering support in implementing professional
distance education programmes for women, including higher education in the fields of
science, technology and IT, developing training programmes on gender equality for
education professionals, and preventing stereotypes from being passed on through
curricula and pedagogical material;
7. Stresses that academic institutions must prepare citizens for knowledge-based societies
and constantly changing economies, provide them with the know-how for independent
learning and an entrepreneurial mind-set and transversal skills, such as problem-solving
and adaptability, in order to explore their own pathways and reach their full potential;
8. Stresses also that academic institutions have an important role in the enhancement of
active citizenship and must provide students with transversal competences such as civic,
social competences and citizenship;
9. Acknowledges that a student-centred approach to education lowers dropout rates and
enables students to achieve their full potential1; stresses, in this regard, the importance
of lifelong career guidance for all;
10. Recognises the potential of knowledge sharing to improve active participation as well as
the international understanding of citizens in ever-changing societies;
11. Acknowledges the need to enhance close cooperation between educational and training
institutions, local communities and the economy; further emphasises the need for better
synergies between formal, non-formal and informal education providers in order to
boost lifelong learning opportunities for all;
1 Economics of Education Editors: Dominic J. Brewer, Patrick J. McEwan Equity and Quality in
Education Supporting disadvantaged students and schools
https://www.oecd.org/education/school/50293148.pdf
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12. Is of the opinion that, at every stage of life, everyone must have the right to access
learning and training opportunities in order to acquire transversal skills such as
numeracy, digital and media literacy, critical thinking, social skills and other relevant
life skills in order to be better able to adapt to the future;
13. Stresses the need to implement tailor-made support for on-the-job learners, apprentices
and employees to ensure the inclusion of all individuals in the labour market; is of the
opinion that it is crucial to incorporate new technologies in the teaching and learning
process in order to equip people with the right set of skills, competences and knowledge
to make them able to use digital technologies in an innovative and creative way;
14. Calls for the better inclusion and retention of citizens in the labour market, backed up
by improvements in their competences through academic further and distance education
and vocational and educational training (VET); highlights the need to increase the
attractiveness of, and access to information on, VET options for young people and their
families; recalls, in this regard, that the target for learning mobility in the VET sector in
the Erasmus+ programme is far from being achieved and further attention should be
given to it;
15. Highlights the importance of Erasmus+ and Horizon 2020 for enhancing lifelong
learning; calls therefore on the Member States to fully explore the potential of those
programmes; and stresses that there should be programmes tailored to academic further
education with an occupational focus;
16. Acknowledges that access to inclusive quality education is of key importance and
therefore support is needed for open and distance learning to meet the special needs of
those who cannot be reached by traditional delivery systems – particularly for
disadvantaged groups; calls on Member States to channel investments for this purpose;
Importance of quality and flexibility in education
17. Perceives the ever-advancing quality of education, both formal and non-formal, as
crucial for the EU’s efforts to ensure social cohesion, competitiveness and sustained
growth;
18. Stresses that to remain competitive, and to give low- and high-skilled workers alike the
best chance of success, businesses together with the educational and training institutions
need to offer training and career-focused education throughout people's working lives;
19. Emphasises the particular importance of quality methods for imparting knowledge and
skills with a view to education outcomes; underlines the need to invest and support
professional development and continuous up-skilling of the teaching staff; stresses, in
this context, the need to guarantee high standards in distance education and the
importance of developing new models of teaching and learning as part of the innovation
process and gradual digitisation of education; recognises, in this context, that proper
infrastructure and resources are vital elements for improving the quality of teaching;
20. Notes that this requires consideration for, and valorisation of, teachers, attractive
remuneration and working conditions, better access to further training during working
time, especially in digital didactics;
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21. Calls for universities to focus on distance education on an increasingly wide scale, and
to extend it to cover free short-term professional courses;
22. Stresses that students following distance education courses should have guaranteed
opportunities to communicate with and be assessed by teachers, so as to ensure that
students have the proper support, guidance and encouragement throughout their studies;
23. Recognises that flexible learning formats such as distance and blended learning enable
people in employment to reconcile work and/or education with their family and private
life;
24. Recognises the pivotal role that distance education plays for people whose physical
conditions prevent them from attending on-campus classes;
25. Promotes the idea of tailor-made learning and bridging courses designed for those
wishing to enter tertiary-level education who need to gain further qualifications in order
to meet entry requirements;
26. Stresses the need to strive for a more flexible and personalised approach regarding
career development and lifelong education and training across one's personal career
path; recognises the role that primarily public but also private parties can play in
providing this, while also recognising that guidance and counselling which address
individual needs and preferences and which focus on the evaluation and expansion of
individual skills must be a core element of education and skills policies from an early
stage;
27. Stresses the importance of interactivity in improving the quality of distance education
through the use of modern communication methods that allow for practical exercises,
the involvement of learners in the teaching process and the development of
communication skills;
28. Promotes the idea of ensuring access to lifelong learning particularly to facilitate re-
entry into the workforce, including for women and carers;
29. Stresses the need for ongoing monitoring of distance education as part of the ongoing
modernisation of teaching methods and tools;
30. Stresses the need for young people to develop independent learning skills (including
organisation of work, information processing, critical thinking and motivation) so that,
in future, they can effectively use advanced technologies to develop their skills through
distance education;
Further and distance education as a development tool for universities
31. Acknowledges that academic further and distance education creates development
opportunities for higher education establishments to broaden their field of competences
and diversify the programs they offer in order to target new audiences and to diversify
their revenue, bearing in mind that the costs of distance education are lower than the
costs of on-campus courses ;
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32. Recognises that distance education encourages the development of interdisciplinary
fields and the pursuit of international studies;
33. Calls on universities to expand their provision of distance education;
34. Recognises the role of the smart specialisation strategy (RIS3) in developing key
regional potential based on the needs of the labour market;
Technological challenges
35. Recognises the need to keep up with rapid technological change, in particular for
distance education, and that the importance of and dependence on ICT cannot be
underestimated; is of the opinion that ICT is a vehicle through which major educational
and developmental challenges could be tackled in an optimal and cost-effective manner;
believes that efforts should also be supported by major investment in education,
including the use of the European Social Fund, in order to develop digital skills and
media literacy at all levels;
36. Notes with regret that the lack of ICT literacy is a major issue today among both
educators and learners; reiterates the importance of technological proficiency in order to
be able to harness the potential of distance learning and facilitate the implementation of
new teaching and learning methods;
37. Points out the need to address the digital divide and to ensure equal opportunities for all
to obtain access to digital technologies, as well as the competences, attitudes and
motivation needed for meaningful digital participation;
38. Highlights the fact that only one quarter of schoolchildren in Europe are taught by
digitally confident teachers, which is a major obstacle preventing new methods of
teaching from flourishing; calls therefore on the Member States to provide stronger
support for school and up-skilling opportunities, including through IT and media
literacy training and lifelong career opportunities for educators;
39. Emphasises the need to invest and support the professional development of teachers
from all educational sectors and to establish lifelong career guidance services;
40. Acknowledges the importance of new digital platforms in education, while also
highlighting the security and privacy issues that both academic institutions and students
face;
41. Stresses the importance of STEM skills and again regrets the gender imbalance in this
area;
Financial challenges
42. Acknowledges the necessity of adequate funding for quality education and tailor-made
learning; highlights that distance education can provide a learner-centred, high-quality
education at a lower cost; stresses the importance of greater financial and practical
involvement of industry and business in vocational training;
43. Stresses the need for expenditure in education to be recognised as a long-term
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investment that brings lasting benefits;
44. Considers that costs must not act as a barrier to enrolment and participation in
education, while also acknowledging the underlying problems leading to high costs and
the inability of citizens to pay enrolment fees in some Member States; encourages
therefore the Commission and Member States to better support and promote distance
learning as a quality, affordable, flexible and personalised educational option;
Challenges regarding the regulatory framework
45. Acknowledges differences in the regulatory frameworks for traditional vocational
training, academic further and distance education; stresses that distance education
should be accredited under the same rules as on-campus education with relevant
indicators and criteria adjusted accordingly;
46. Recognises the importance of active governance and the involvement of stakeholders;
47. Acknowledges the importance of quality assurance in distance learning and the
accreditation of its outcomes;
48. Recalls that many existing European transparency tools such as the European
Qualifications Framework (EQF) and European credit system for vocational education
and training (ECVET) have been developed in isolation; recognises that in order to
allow individuals to better measure their progress and opportunities, and to capitalise on
the learning outcomes gained in different contexts, they need to be better coordinated
and supported by quality assurance systems and be embedded in a framework of
national qualifications in order to build trust across sectors and actors, including
employers;
49. Recognises the continued importance of both blended and online learning, in particular
in the context of VET; stresses that the combination of high-quality digital technologies
and face-to-face learning opportunities result in greater student achievements and
therefore encourages the Commission and Member States to better support and promote
blended learning;
50. Calls on the Commission to reinforce the European lifelong learning strategy and to
make academic further and distance education an integral part of it in order to promote
the adaptation of an ageing workforce to economic and technological change; calls
furthermore on the Commission to examine the possibility of increasing the funding for
academic further and distance education through existing and future programmes;
51. Recognises the need for a comprehensive multi-sector and multi-disciplinary approach
to education and training, including lifelong learning, and the need for trans-sectoral
cooperation in the development and implementation of educational policies;
Recommendations at European level
52. Stresses the need to foster cooperation and the exchange of good practice between
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education systems; encourages furthermore the sharing of good practices by national
quality assurance (QA) agencies in the development of criteria on the recognition of
new modes of teaching and learning;
53. Calls for a revision of the European Qualifications Framework (EQF) to promote the
comparability of qualifications between the countries covered in the EQF and other
countries, in particular neighbourhood countries and countries with mature
qualifications frameworks, in order to better understand the qualifications acquired
abroad and to place people with migrant backgrounds and refugees in lifelong learning
and employment;
54. Calls on the Commission to significantly reinforce support for academic further and
distance education through Erasmus+ by promoting the development of European
networks, and facilitating the exchange of good practices, the setting up of projects
involving institutions based in several Member States, and increased accessibility for
students from other European and third countries;
55. Advocates the creation of a user-friendly online platform as a one-stop shop where
education professionals and learners can facilitate the exchange of best practice;
56. Calls on the Commission to develop a secure and integrated learning platform designed
for and offered to European educational institutions free of charge, thus boosting the use
of e-learning across the EU;
57. Acknowledges the need to further develop eTwinning and the School Education
Gateway to support constructive exchanges between teachers and other practitioners;
58. Encourages the establishment of stronger links between continuous academic further
education (which is not only research-orientated) and vocational and educational
training for skills acquisition, and action to ensure that both can be pursued and applied
for at any time;
59. Recommends the corroboration of lifelong learning efforts with a European
Digitalisation Strategy and gender impact assessment of the proposed measures to be
prepared;
60. Welcomes the ambitious plan to provide ultra-fast internet in primary and secondary
schools and libraries by 2025, because faster and better connectivity provides huge
opportunities to enhance teaching methods, to foster research and to develop high-
quality educational services online; stresses that the roll-out of these technologies
creates better opportunities for distance learning, particularly in rural areas and
outermost regions; highlights the fact that such opportunities will enhance children's and
students’ digital skills and media literacy;
61. Stresses that the adaptation of education and training systems is vital to meet the
increasing demand for digitally skilled professionals in the EU; emphasises that, in
order to achieve a true digital single market in Europe, further efforts are needed to
improve media literacy among citizens, in particular minors;
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62. Highlights the importance of stepping up European efforts to make the lifelong learning
strategy a reality for all, together with the objective to also provide a range of learning
opportunities that can be pursued for personal development and fulfilment; encourages
the Commission and the Member States to promote and invest in lifelong learning in
particular in countries with a participation rate below the 15% benchmark;
63. Calls on Member States to foster cooperation and reinforce synergies between formal,
non-formal and informal education providers with a view to reaching a wider group of
people in order to better take into account their specific needs;
64. Recommends that teachers giving distance learning courses should have specific
certified training;
Recommendations at Member State level
65. Calls on the Member States to ensure a holistic approach to education and to provide
students with authentic, diverse and equal learning opportunities that develop their
aspirations and the skills needed to prosper in both a constantly changing global
economy and a democratic society;
66. Encourages Member States to build on existing validation arrangements in order to
assess and certify skills, acquired through up-skilling pathways and to ensure their
recognition with a view to qualifications, in accordance with national qualifications
framework and systems;
67. Emphasises that further deployment of digital infrastructure especially in less densely
populated areas promotes social and cultural integration, modern educational and
information processes and a regional cultural economy;
68. Calls on Member States to make available opportunities for ICT training and the
development of digital skills and media literacy at all levels of education;
69. Reiterates the importance for academic and training institutions to swiftly respond to the
changes in society and the labour market, and to adapt and modernise their way of
working and to enable students to develop skills accordingly; stresses that education is a
lifelong empowerment process, which should help citizens achieve personal
development, creativity and well-being;
70. Urges academic institutions to anticipate changes in society and the labour market, and
to adapt their way of working accordingly; notes that, the development of future-
oriented sectors, in particular the green and circular economy, has a determinant role on
the type of skills needed;
71. Calls furthermore on academic institutions to offer multilingual courses geared to
migrants’ skills, smoothing the path to entry to educational programmes;
72. Stresses the need for greater flexibility in the Member States’ education systems in
order to enable more effective use of open and online teaching methods;
73. Urges Member States to improve the availability of data on the employment and social
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situation of graduates (‘graduate tracking’), including data on the vocational education
and training sector;
74. Calls on the EU and the Member States to develop and implement 'educational
corridors' by promoting agreements with European universities, such as the
Mediterranean Universities Union (UNIMED) and the networks of distance learning
universities hosting refugee students from conflict areas, including through academic
distance training programmes;
75. Highlights the importance of specialised school and university teacher training for
academic further and distance education, so as to meet the needs of their students;
76. Stresses the need for competences and skills acquired outside the formal education
system to be recognised through quality assurance and accreditation especially with a
view to empowering people in a vulnerable or disadvantaged situation, such as low-
skilled adults or refugees; insists on the importance of validating non-formal and
informal learning in order to reach out and empower learners;
77. Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council and the Commission.
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EXPLANATORY STATEMENT
Education and training reflect society. They make a key contribution to the formation of human
capital. In Europe, over a number of decades a wide range of teaching in the context of lifelong
learning has been built upon the traditional educational systems, based on the recognition that,
whether formal, non-formal or occasional, lifelong learning is essential in today’s dynamic,
complex, risk-full society which is technologically ever more demanding.
Continuous enhancement of knowledge, experience and skills is imperative not only at work
but also in an individual’s private life and public life.
Education systems must therefore pay close attention to, and adapt to, rapidly changing
circumstances. Additional paths to education must be made available through higher continuous
vocational education and training, allowing participants to further enhance their capabilities.
As well as making further learning possible, education systems must also recognise the learning
outcomes, and not only at national level but also more broadly.
Poor access to educational opportunities can reduce people’s competitiveness in the labour
market and cause difficulties in their private life or even lead to permanent inertia, exclusion
from society and, as we have seen in recent years, violent radicalisation, especially among the
young, who are the most vulnerable in circumstances of risk.
Easier access to education is therefore the standard which should be universally applied, but in
practice that is not the case. Many people have problems: e.g. young mothers find it difficult to
reconcile family life, and even work commitments, with education; it can be hard for poorer
people to afford the study they want to do, especially if the course is expensive or very far away.
It is difficult for someone from a remote region, for instance, to afford to study at the university
of their choice because of the distance. People with special needs also often find it difficult to
participate in traditional (i.e. residential) study. This is why distance education is so important
in ensuring easier access for all, as well as in lowering the cost of study. E-learning, or distance
education, can be a more suitable, more accessible form of education because it avoids the
normal operating costs of educational institutions. Distance education can improve accessibility
for all, without discrimination in terms of nationality, region, social status, age or sex.
The rapporteur is convinced that with the new forms of lifelong learning we can successfully
meet the challenges of modern societies, including reducing unemployment, which is still too
high, especially among young people. In some countries it has reached dramatic proportions
(over 40%). Meeting all these challenges will require highly flexible educational systems. In
10 years almost half of all jobs will be new, and require new skills. And more than half of these
jobs will only available to highly skilled workers. In short, further and distance education can
make an important contribution to successfully meeting the challenges of modern societies.
The rapporteur stresses that FDE puts the focus on personalisation, i.e. tailor made education.
This type of flexibility also helps to achieve more effective, higher-quality learning and reduce
the drop-out rate, which is still a big problem in Europe.
The process of digitisation is unrelenting in education as elsewhere. Today only a quarter of
schoolchildren in Europe are taught by teachers with digital skills. All participants in education
therefore urgently need to be equipped with the appropriate skills at all levels of the educational
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process. Also very important in this context is EU help to develop a single digital platform, or
a digital classroom, which would provide an effective and rapid EU response to the challenges
of digitisation, dispel fears and ensure quality for educational institutions wanting to expand
their educational services to include distance education.
The rapporteur would specifically highlight the need for all educational systems in the Member
States to establish a regulatory framework enabling FDE to function properly, including
recognition and validation of the results of both formal and non-formal education.
The rapporteur recommends strengthening cooperation between the Member States’
educational systems and developing a user-friendly online platform to facilitate the exchange
of good practice. He further recommends improving cooperation with business, particularly for
studies with high application value. In future, FDE potential in Erasmus+ programmes should
be better exploited, particularly with regard to exchange of best practice and developing
expertise in distance education and research into innovative teaching methods. The rapporteur
believes that the Member States should adopt a holistic approach to education whereby
educational institutions would be better able to adapt to changes in society and to the labour
market. It is also very important that they pay more attention to the ongoing training of teachers.
\
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2.5.2017
POSITION IN THE FORM OF AMENDMENTS OF THE COMMITTEE ON WOMEN’S RIGHTS AND GENDER EQUALITY
for the Committee on Culture and Education
on academic further and distance education as part of the European lifelong learning strategy
(2016/2142(INI))
Rapporteur: Vilija Blinkevičiūtė
SUGGESTIONS
The Committee on Women’s Rights and Gender Equality calls on the Committee on Culture
and Education, as the committee responsible, to take into account the following amendments:
Amendment 1
Draft report
Citation 1
Draft report Amendment
– having regard to Articles 165 and
166 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the
European Union (TFEU),
– having regard to Articles 8, 165 and
166 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the
European Union (TFEU),
Amendment 2
Draft report
Recital B
Draft report Amendment
B. whereas lifelong learning, which
promotes active citizenship and
employability, is a key aspect of education
affected by these changes;
B. whereas lifelong learning, in formal,
non-formal and informal contexts that promote gender equality, active citizenship
and employability, is a key aspect of
education affected by these changes;
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Amendment 3
Draft report
Recital B a (new)
Draft report Amendment
Ba. whereas in order to achieve the 2020
target that, on average, at least 15 % of
adults aged 25 to 64 years old participate
in lifelong learning, active steps must be
taken to reduce obstacles to participation,
including measures to balance family
obligations, particularly for women;
Amendment 4
Draft report
Recital D a (new)
Draft report Amendment
Da. whereas further and distance
education, and the use of new
technologies, can help raise girls’ and
women’s awareness of new career
options, particularly in areas where they
are underrepresented; whereas even
though more women than men have
advanced secondary school diplomas and
higher education degrees, there is a need
to increase the presence of women both in
vocational education and in STEM-
related sectors (science, technology,
engineering and mathematics);
Amendment 5
Draft report
Recital D a (new)
Draft report Amendment
Da. whereas the average employment rate
of women is directly linked to their
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respective levels of education, such that
women aged 25-49 with completed tertiary
education have employment rates that are
more than 20 % higher than those of
women with only pre-primary, primary or
lower secondary education;
Amendment 6
Draft report
Recital D b (new)
Draft report Amendment
Db. whereas distance education can have
a positive effect on women’s ICT skills;
whereas the entry of more women into the
ICT sector would boost a market in which
labour shortages are foreseen and in
which the equal participation of women
would lead to an annual gain in EU GDP
of around EUR 9 billion; whereas women
remain heavily underrepresented in ICT
degree programmes, where they constitute
only around 20 % of graduates in the
field, with only 3 % of all female
graduates having a degree in ICT;
Amendment 7
Draft report
Recital J
Draft report Amendment
J. whereas women constitute the majority
of people enrolling in distance education
courses, as such courses offer them
flexibility in achieving their work-life
balance;
J. whereas women constitute the majority
of people enrolling in distance education
courses, as women still spend more time
than men on unpaid domestic work and
family care, and as such courses offer
them flexibility in achieving their work-life
balance;
Amendment 8
Draft report
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Recital J a (new)
Draft report Amendment
Ja. whereas men accounted for 60 % of
staff in academic institutions across
Member States in 2010;
Amendment 9
Draft report
Recital K
Draft report Amendment
K. whereas equality between women and
men is a fundamental principle of the
European Union which is enshrined in the
Treaties and forms one of the objectives
and tasks of the Union; whereas equality in
education offers women greater
opportunities and contributes to the social,
cultural and economic development of
society;
K. whereas equality between women and
men is a fundamental principle of the
European Union which is enshrined in the
Treaties and forms one of the objectives
and tasks of the Union; whereas equality in
education offers women greater
opportunities and contributes to the social,
cultural and economic development of
society; whereas education is a
fundamental tool for combatting gender
stereotypes;
Amendment 10
Draft report
Paragraph 3
Draft report Amendment
3. Recognises that digitalisation and the
establishment of common educational
platforms are key to addressing these
challenges;
3. Recognises that digitalisation and the
establishment of common educational
platforms are key to addressing these
challenges, and calls for more attention to
be given to ensuring that quality
education is provided to women, as part of
digital platforms, in order to improve their
position in the labour market and to
update and match their skills to the needs
of the digitalised economy;
Amendment 11
Draft report
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Paragraph 3 a (new)
Draft report Amendment
3a. Emphasises that lifelong learning
measures are key to providing women
with skills that enable them to return to
employment or to improve their
employment, income and working
conditions; calls on the Commission to
promote initiatives offering support in
implementing professional distance
education programmes for women,
including higher education in the fields of
science, technology and IT, in developing
training programmes on gender equality
for education professionals, and in
preventing stereotypes from being passed
on through curricula and pedagogical
material;
Amendment 12
Draft report
Paragraph 3 b (new)
Draft report Amendment
3b. Stresses the importance of education
in combating gender stereotypes; calls,
therefore, on the Commission to promote
initiatives aimed at developing training
programmes on gender equality for
education professionals, and at preventing
stereotypes from being passed on through
curricula and pedagogical material;
Amendment 13
Draft report
Paragraph 4
Draft report Amendment
4. Stresses that academic institutions must 4. Stresses that academic institutions must
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prepare students for uncertainty and
provide them with tools such as
entrepreneurial and adaptability skills to
explore their own pathways;
prepare students, including women, for
uncertainty and provide them with tools
such as entrepreneurial and adaptability
skills to explore their own pathways;
Amendment 14
Draft report
Paragraph 5 a (new)
Draft report Amendment
5a. Stresses the need for further
improvements as regards women’s
presence in, and access to, higher levels of
academia, especially as a means to
address their continued under-
representation in senior positions in
academia;
Amendment 15
Draft report
Paragraph 8
Draft report Amendment
8. Calls for the better inclusion and
retention of individuals in the labour
market, backed up by improvements in
their skills through vocational and
educational training (VET);
8. Calls for the better inclusion and
retention of individuals, including women,
in the labour market, backed up by
improvements in their skills through
vocational and educational training (VET);
Amendment 16
Draft report
Paragraph 10
Draft report Amendment
10. Acknowledges that access to education
is a key concern – particularly for
vulnerable people, those from
disadvantaged background or people with
special needs;
10. Acknowledges that access to education
is a key concern – particularly for
vulnerable people, those from
disadvantaged background, migrants and
people with special needs;
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Amendment 17
Draft report
Paragraph 13
Draft report Amendment
13. Recognises that flexible learning
formats enable people in employment to
enjoy a better work-life balance;
13. Recognises that flexible learning
formats enable people in employment to
enjoy a better work-life balance; calls for
the provision of accessible and affordable
care facilities that allow carers, often
women, to participate in lifelong
education and training; emphasises that
flexible learning formats must also be
accessible to people with disabilities, in
particular women and girls;
Amendment 18
Draft report
Paragraph 13 a (new)
Draft report Amendment
13a. Emphasises that flexible learning
formats provide an opportunity to provide
access to education for, and to overcome
barriers in this regard faced by, women
and girls from vulnerable or marginalised
communities, such as refugee and
migrant women, Roma women, single
mothers, LGBTI women, women facing
poverty and social exclusion, and women
in rural areas;
Amendment 19
Draft report
Paragraph 14 a (new)
Draft report Amendment
14a. Promotes the idea of ensuring access
to lifelong learning, in particular with a
view to facilitating the re-entry into the
workforce of women and carers;
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Amendment 20
Draft report
Paragraph 18 a (new)
Draft report Amendment
18a. Stresses that women and girls often
face gender stereotypes with regard to
digital technologies; points out that
proper digital literacy, also for women, is
essential to ensuring equal access to
distance education;
Amendment 21
Draft report
Paragraph 31
Draft report Amendment
31. Recommends the corroboration of
lifelong learning efforts with a European
Digitalisation Strategy;
31. Recommends the corroboration of
lifelong learning efforts with a European
Digitalisation Strategy and the preparation
of a gender impact assessment of the
proposed measures;
Amendment 22
Draft report
Paragraph 31 a (new)
Draft report Amendment
31a. Highlights the need for active
measures to address and break gender-
based stereotypes and segregation in
education and training, including by
ensuring gender-sensitive curricula in
education, providing career counselling,
and undertaking media campaigns that
encourage boys and girls, and women and
men, to follow career paths that are in
accordance with their skills and abilities;
Amendment 23
Draft report
Paragraph 32
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Draft report Amendment
32. Highlights the importance of stepping up
European efforts to make the Lifelong
Learning Strategy a reality for all;
32. Highlights the importance of stepping up
European efforts to make the Lifelong
Learning Strategy a reality for all, and calls
for gender equality to be mainstreamed in
lifelong learning strategies;
Amendment 24
Draft report
Paragraph 33
Draft report Amendment
33. Calls on Member States to ensure a
holistic approach to education and to
provide students with authentic learning
opportunities that develop their aspirations
and the skills needed to survive in a global
economy;
33. Calls on Member States to ensure a
gender-sensitive and holistic approach to
education and to provide students with
authentic and equal learning opportunities
that develop their aspirations and the skills
needed to survive in a global economy;
recommends the Member States to
develop gender-sensitive curricula and
teaching materials that are free from
discrimination that can influence
students’ educational and career paths at
a later stage;
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INFORMATION ON ADOPTION IN COMMITTEE ASKED FOR OPINION
Date adopted 25.4.2017
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INFORMATION ON ADOPTION IN COMMITTEE RESPONSIBLE
Date adopted 21.6.2017
Result of final vote +:
–:
0:
24
1
5
Members present for the final vote Dominique Bilde, Andrea Bocskor, Silvia Costa, Angel Dzhambazki,
Jill Evans, María Teresa Giménez Barbat, Giorgos Grammatikakis,
Petra Kammerevert, Svetoslav Hristov Malinov, Curzio Maltese,
Stefano Maullu, Morten Messerschmidt, Luigi Morgano, Momchil
Nekov, John Procter, Michaela Šojdrová, Martin Sonneborn, Yana
Toom, Helga Trüpel, Sabine Verheyen, Julie Ward, Bogdan Brunon
Wenta, Theodoros Zagorakis, Bogdan Andrzej Zdrojewski, Milan Zver,
Krystyna Łybacka
Substitutes present for the final vote Dietmar Köster, Emma McClarkin, Martina Michels
Substitutes under Rule 200(2) present
for the final vote
David Borrelli
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FINAL VOTE BY ROLL CALL IN COMMITTEE RESPONSIBLE
24 +
ALDE María Teresa Giménez Barbat, Yana Toom
EFDD David Borrelli
GUE/NGL Curzio Maltese, Martina Michels
PPE Andrea Bocskor, Svetoslav Hristov Malinov, Stefano Maullu, Sabine Verheyen,
Bogdan Brunon Wenta, Theodoros Zagorakis, Bogdan Andrzej Zdrojewski, Milan
Zver, Michaela Šojdrová
S&D Silvia Costa, Giorgos Grammatikakis, Petra Kammerevert, Dietmar Köster, Luigi
Morgano, Momchil Nekov, Julie Ward, Krystyna Łybacka
Verts/ALE Jill Evans, Helga Trüpel
1 -
NI Martin Sonneborn
5 0
ECR Angel Dzhambazki, Emma McClarkin, Morten Messerschmidt, John Procter
ENF Dominique Bilde
Key to symbols:
+ : in favour
- : against
0 : abstention